Ouya might not be doing so hot here in the U.S., but the Android video game console maker is hoping to make waves in China thanks to a new partnership with smartphone giant Xiaomi.

As part of the deal, Ouya games will be available via Xiaomi's new "MiBox" and "MiTV" streaming boxes and smart TVs, sources at both companies told Reuters. Ouya Chief Executive Julie Uhrman told the news outlet that Ouya will likely have a dedicated channel on Xiaomi's devices where players can download its games, though details of the partnership are still being ironed out.

At this point, the companies are discussing launch titles and marketing plans. Xiaomi will likely be responsible for marketing the games, and revenue will be shared between Ouya, Xiaomi, and developers.

"For the likes of Xiaomi's MiTV, its set-top boxes and other Android set-top boxes that are entering the market, this could be a turning point..in bringing great content and developers to gamers and into a region that they have never had access to before," Uhrman told Reuters.

The move comes after Ouya earlier this year started moving away from hardware to instead concentrate on making Ouya a software platform that could run on devices made by others.

"What makes Ouya is not the physical hardware, but the fact that it is made for games built for a TV," Uhrman told The Verge back in March.

Ouya also recently reversed-course on one of its founding principles — that all games must have a free component. Now, developers can decide if they want to charge upfront for their games or offer it for free to try.

Xiaomi, meanwhile, made headlines last year when Hugo Barra, previously vice president of product management for Android, left Google to join Xiaomi. He is now vice president of Xiaomi Global and tasked with expanding Xiaomi's product portfolio and business globally.

Angela has been a PCMag reporter since January 2012. Prior to joining the team, she worked as a reporter for SC Magazine, covering everything related to hackers and computer security. Angela has also written for The Northern Valley Suburbanite in New Jersey, The Dominion Post in West Virginia, and the Uniontown-Herald Standard in Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of West Virginia University's Perely Isaac Reed School of Journalism.
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